Charlize Theron wins an Oscar for her vivid portrayal of an abused lesbian prostitute turned murderer. Jolie leaves men and women alike, awestruck as the athletically violent heroine. These are the kind of roles which are admired in the film industry today and subsequently the kind which define women. Cast your mind, however, back to a more serene time when the silver screen first acquired its definition.
This is a time where less is more. It is not a time for physical expression, at least not in the way we are now accustomed to seeing. Instead more is achieved by the lack of it. The heroine remains composed until the pivotal moment in the plot where the amassed emotion is achingly looking for its release. All that the limbs do not express is instead achieved by the heroine's face and in particular her eyes.
Few actresses today could hold a candle to the likes of Gene Tierny, Joan Fontaine or Ingrid Bergman . Granted it is a time where the feminine is very much the weak sex, however, these elegant women with their wounded dove looks are bewitching and in their own way empowering.
There is one actress in particular who is the most captivating of them all. Perhaps, because there is a truly ethereal element to her. A sensation emanating from her screen presence, giving the illusion (or perhaps even the reality) that she is never truly there, that if you were able to be in her presence there would be a part you could never know or possess, a part that belonged to another place. Hail Grace Kelly!
